Why Your Words Matter: The Hidden Power of Leaving Comments
What brought you here today? It’s a semi-rhetorical question, but, seriously, see what answer you come up with in just a few seconds. It’s likely that you clicked on a link to get here, and it’s probably because of a description of this post. You came here to receive something, some information, maybe to hear my opinion on something (no shortage of opinions here), perhaps to learn how to do something. You read blogs, social media posts, and articles all over the web. Some of those items don’t provide the option to leave comments, but many do. Do you leave a comment when you finish?
I haven’t always, but I learned something a while back that changed the way I see comments. It’s true that many comments are just trolls trying to get someone upset, but I realized that so much of the Internet has become one-way traffic, from the content producer to the content consumer. Internet activity is way too passive. I want the Internet to become much more of a conversation! If I can’t make that happen for the whole Internet (and I’m guessing I can’t), then I’ll do it for my little corner, and I hope that when you finish here, you’ll be convinced to do it for yours as well. I’ve started doing my best to engage with the blog posts I read, as well as at least two posts on each of my social media platforms each day. Yeah, it takes a little time, but what else do I have to do with my time?
Why Comments are Valuable
Not every blog will let you leave a comment. That’s fine, the purpose of those blogs is strictly to provide information. I follow one blog that turns off comments after a month. Unfortunately, I’m more than a month behind on my reading, but while I was caught up, I did leave comments when something resonated with me. Often when I leave a comment, the blogger will respond. Yes, we do that!
Leaving a comment for a blogger, or a YouTube video, or even on an Instagram post or a Facebook post that strikes a chord with you can foster a relationship between the content creator and the readers/viewers/followers. It lets that creator know that someone’s out there, that the content they’re creating means something to someone. Sometimes, it lets us know we’re not shouting into the void.
It also gives us encouragement to keep creating. I love writing, and I’ve been doing it for a while, but not consistently. After I got everything consolidated here to this blog, I’ve been doing really well at producing at least two posts a week, most often three. (We had wedding activities all last week, so I didn’t even try.) But it’s really nice to keep a conversation going. I write because I have to, it’s something that’s in me to do, but I’d really like to hear back from you, dear reader. I don’t like talking at you. Talk back to me!
Besides the general value of conversation, you have things I need to hear. You have things my other readers need to hear, as well. You have gifts to share that you can share with all three people who follow my blog, and they can share back with you. As my good friend Lloyd Albritton used to tell me often, “I lift thee, and thee lift me, and we rise together.” (Check out his YouTube channel here, he’s quite the storyteller. When you get done there, go take a look at his book Baby Blue on Amazon. I read it, and it’s an engaging mystery tale.)
The Impact of Leaving Comments
Comments have other purposes as well. Besides getting a morale boost, I can also get an ego check if I need it. You can provide constructive feedback that can help me refine my writing. I’m playing a long game, I’m going to be writing as long as I’m able, and I’m up for improvement every step of the way.
We can also join voices to encourage and edify each other, as well. We can create mini-communities on the Internet in the groups of people who read certain blogs. Sometimes it just feels good to know you’re not the only one facing a problem.
There’s something else, though, that you may not realize if you’re not a content creator. Your comments actually help other people find the people whose content you like. More comments help boost visibility and engagement metrics for search engines. You may come and visit my blog several times a week, but if you don’t leave a comment, Google doesn’t know anyone was there. I’m not sharing email addresses with anyone and I’m not tracking anyone, so just leaving a comment is the only way to improve my credibility with the search engines.
Tips on Leaving Meaningful Comments
There are three B’s to leaving a great comment on someone’s blog, video, or post. Be specific, be respectful, and be relevant.
Be specific by mentioning something you liked or found thought-provoking. We like hearing “great post,” but we like even more hearing “Wow, I never realized that Tanzania had so many varieties of mushrooms!” or “Your position on how much grass your yard needs got me thinking about my own lawn.” We learn from what you say what we should write more about.
Be respectful, even if you disagree. It’s WONDERFUL when people disagree — agreeably. Even if I disagree with your main position, I guarantee there’s something I didn’t consider, and while you’re probably not going to change my mind with one comment, I welcome the education. Also — I will leave up any respectful commends, and I’ll remove the rude ones. I can do that, it’s my blog. 😀
Be relevant. Keep your topic on the topic of the post and contribute to the discussion. I know very little about everything, so teach me, but teach me about this subject. Now, if a particular post’s subject brings up something else you’d like me to explore, please drop that into the comments of that post by saying something along the lines of “This post made me think of something else…” and make that connection. I always welcome new subject matter, because it’s not always easy coming up with things to write about.
Your Turn
Bloggers, for the most part, want to engage with you. We want our blogs to be conversations, not billboards. Talk back to me! Your engagement makes a significant difference, personally and professionally. Leave a comment here, and everywhere else you read good stuff.
Thanks for stopping by, and drop me a comment below, just to let me know you hear me. Or, let me know why you don’t leave comments.
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